‘I stole my boss’ car to travel to Europe’ 

Operatives of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad, (SARS) of the Lagos State police command have arrested a sales boy, who allegedly stole his boss’ Sienna bus from his Magodo residence. 
Two accomplices were arrested alongside the 28-year-old suspect, Austin Akan.

It was gathered that Akan visited his boss’ home last Thursday, where he deceived one of the domestic workers that his boss instructed him to bring the vehicle. 
He however, took the car to one of his friend’s place in Oshodi, where it was kept pending when they would get a ready buyer.

But the bubble burst after his boss lodged a complaint at SARS, where detectives swung into action and a team of operatives led by Aduroja Akinola, a Deputy Superintendent of Police, apprehended Akan in his hideout.

The vehicle was traced to where it was parked. During investigation, Akan disclosed that his intention was to sell the stolen vehicle and travel out of the country.

Speaking with The Guardian, the Akwa Ibom State-born suspect said: “Hardship made me do it. I could not conclude my Ordinary National Diploma course from the Lagos State Polytechnic because of poverty. Since then (2015), there had been no job. I started running errands for my boss (names withheld). At a point, I decided to steal one of his cars and use the proceeds to travel.

“My intention was to sell the car for N2.5 million and travel to Europe, work and return the money back to my boss and also beg for forgiveness. 
I had already made plans for the journey; an agent told me he could help me get a visa to Dubai for N600,000. I thought of getting that first if I sold the car, from Dubai, I would proceed to Europe.”

One of his alleged partners in crime, Obinna Ejike, 31, said: “
I have known Austine for a long time. He came to me and said he was looking for where he would park the car pending when he would get a ready buyer. He told me he stole the car from his boss. He said if he succeeded, he would pay his boss by December. 
I contacted Emeka, (pointing at the third suspect) who told me there was a space in his street at Adijat Lawal, Bisam, Oshodi. That was where the car was kept until I was arrested,” the commercial tri-cyclist said.

However on his part, Emeka Jeffrey, who admitted to have provided a space in his street where the stolen vehicle was parked said he was ignorant of the circumstances surrounding the car, a claim that was corroborated by Ejike.

The father of two said: “I didn’t know that the vehicle was stolen. Ejike only told me they were looking for where it would be parked pending when its owner would come to pick it. 
It was after I was arrested that I got to know that it was stolen.”